Texas State Historic Site: Sebastopol House in Seguin

It’s been years since my family last visited the Sebastopol House in Seguin and I was ready to go back. So a couple of weeks ago I talked my family into getting up and hitting the road. Seguin is only about an hour from San Antonio so it’s a great place for a day trip. When I can spend the day immersed in history and learning, I’m in my happy place!

Joshua W. Young built the house for his sister, Catherine LeGette. He called it the Sebastopol House – but it’s unclear as to why. Sebastopol was an important Russian-controlled port during the Crimean War so it’s thought that maybe Young liked the name but there’s no clear answer. In 1874, Joseph Zorn, Jr. bought the house, and it remained in the Zorn family until 1961. In 2011 ownership was transferred to the City of Seguin.

Sebastopol House – Important Information:

Location
704 Zorn St., Seguin, TX, 78155
Tour Hours
Thursday – Sunday: On the hour from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Admission
Free! (Donations accepted)

The Sebastopol House is an 1856 Greek Revival mansion. It’s one of the country’s best preserved examples of 19th-century experimentation with concrete construction (called limecrete). The house sits on 2.2 acres of its original 4-acre site and is listed as a Registered Texas Historic Landmark. It’s also in the National Register of Historic Places.

The house is constructed entirely of unreinforced, cast-in-place limecrete. Slaves did the hard physical work, using boards to build forms. When the limecrete mixture was poured into the forms, it was allowed to harden before the forms were raised another foot or so and the process repeated. Limecrete was made of on-site caliche (to form a basement level) and was then mixed with sand, lime made from nearby limestone deposits, and organic materials like straw or horsehair. 

Exhibits at the Sebastopol House show off the technology used by skilled slaves to build this house in the years prior to the Civil War. Also on display are rare and highly collectible pieces of pottery from the Wilson Pottery Foundation.

Have you been to the Sebastopol House in Seguin?

Other places to visit while in Seguin, include:

Attractions –

• Texas Agricultural Education and Heritage Center
  • The Texas Agricultural Education and Heritage Center was founded to educate the public, especially young people, about agriculture and our heritage. The Center has displays and events to help create the farming and ranching experience.
• ZDT’s Amusement Park
  • A 10-acre family amusement park located in Seguin, Texas. The park first opened in 2007 and has grown to feature 12 attractions, three of which are water rides, along with a video game arcade.
• The Heritage Museum
  • The museum has over 200 dinosaur tracks and 28 separate trackways made approximatly 110 million years ago.  They are a part of the upper Glen Rose Formation of the early Cretaceoues period.
• Seguin Brewing Company
  • Seguin Brewing Company has been serving Seguin with excellence and variety in craft beer with styles ranging from their signature “Honey Pecan #5” to their deep-bodied “Black Rye Reserve” IPA.
• Los Nogalos Museum
  • Los Nogales is a historic 1800s home, among the oldest structures still standing in Seguin, and is the last remaining adobe constructed home in the city.
• Pape’s Pecan House
  • Come and visit the store where you can see over 8,000 different type of nutcrackers, everything from commercial crackers, iron ornate and world famous life-size wooden soldiers!

Restaurants –

• 1838 Grill
  • An American cuisine restaurant serving brunch, lunch and dinner.
  • 1338 E Court St., Seguin, TX 78155
• Warehouse
  • Warehouse is a full Bar & Grill located on the Historic downtown Square. They offer a fully renovated indoor restaurant along with the largest patio in town with games and live music.
  • 108 S Austin St., Seguin, TX 78155
• Dixie Grill
  • Comfort food with a southern flair. Plenty of gluten-free options. Serves lunch and dinner.
  • 1575 I-10 Frontage Rd., Seguin, TX 78155
• Kirby’s Korner Restaurant
  • Serving hand-pressed burgers since 1993, Kirby’s Korner’s mission is to provide delicious food in a friendly environment.
  • 606 N Hwy 123 Bypass, Seguin, TX 78155
• SU Casa Cafe
  • Relaxed eatery serving a menu of Tex-Mex classics in warm, cheerful surroundings.
  • 1142 E Kingsbury St., Seguin, TX 78155
• True Texas BBQ
  • Offers BBQ smoked with Texas Oak wood for up to 14 hours by the plate or pound, plus delicious sides like brisket beans, creamed corn, potato salad and coleslaw.
  • 1340 E Court St., Seguin, TX 78155
• Lola’s Mexican Food
  • Mexican food restaurant serving breakfast and lunch. Closed on Sundays.
  • 3470 E U.S. Hwy 90, Seguin, TX 78155
• Rusty Rooster
  • A family-owned business serving fried chicken (spicy available upon request), chicken tenders, fried catfish, livers, gizzards, shrimp, chicken fried steak and more.
    
  • 1056 E Court St., Seguin, TX 78155
• Grain Bin Cafe & Store
  • The Grain Bin specializes in family style food and also has a unique gift store. Enjoy live music outside in the biergarten on Friday nights. 
  • 121 Dennis Dr., Seguin, TX 78155

Another great day trip idea: Dripping Springs boasts the Dr. Pound Historical Farmstead.

Dr. Pound Historical Farmstead in Dripping Springs, Texas